


Something Wrong in the Village

by itsOzzie



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: F/F, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-05 06:22:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20484308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsOzzie/pseuds/itsOzzie
Summary: Songfic based onThe VillagebyWrabel.





	Something Wrong in the Village

_No, your mom don't get it, and your dad don't get it, Uncle John don't get it._

Alyssa Greene wasn’t a lesbian. This, she knew. She just didn’t have the time to date, or interest in dating...that was all.

"Alyssa?" The voice of her mother broke her from her thoughts...her spiraling panic of being with extended family and hearing questions about boys.

"Hm?"

"Do you want to lead the prayer?" her mother looked at her expectantly.

Alyssa wished she could say no because the thought of the Bible made her stomach turn recently. For reasons she admittedly couldn’t understand. But she didn't. She couldn't.

"Oh, um, if I'm permitted..." her voice trails off, with no idea what to say.

And so she did what was expected. Although her mind was on a different Bible verse. One that never truly left her head.

_And you can't tell grandma 'cause her heart can't take it and she might not make it._

Emma Nolan was terrified of coming out to her grandmother, in all honesty. But the whole world around her was scary at this point. It was like walking on eggshells. At this point, she just needed to break the ice, have her grandma inevitably disown her...just so she could let go of the tension of waiting for that to happen.

They had just gotten back from the food pantry, where Emma occasionally helped her grandma with volunteer work. Before her brain could stop her with rational judgment, Emma blurted out, "Gran? Can I...tell you something? I kinda don't want mom and dad to know yet, but--" she cut herself off, taking a deep breath.

"Of course, honey," Betsy spoke with an alarming amount of compassion as Emma began to panic. "What's going on?"

By now, Emma was acting purely on impulse. "Oh God, why am I doing this? You're gonna hate me, oh my God..." she began pacing around in a circle and shaking her hands because it was her only healthy coping mechanism.

Betsy took note of this and rested a hand on Emma's shoulder, making her stop dead in her tracks. "Why on Earth would I hate you?"

"Because I'm--I--I--I don't know?!" Emma stutters out, suddenly struggling to get a full breath.

"Baby girl," Betsy says warmly. "You should sit down..." Slowly, she guides her now sobbing granddaughter to a chair, kneeling down to her level. "Now, you were saying...you are?"

Emma's whole body is shaking, and warm tears flood her cheeks and she practically doubles over and blurts out, "I'm gay. I'm gay and no one else knows and I'm--I'm scared."

Betsy Nolan had a lot she wanted to say at that moment, but she didn't know how up-for-conversation her granddaughter was. Instead, she just hugged her. Not too tight, as the girl was just getting air back, but tight enough to deliver the message that she meant it.

_They say, "Don't dare, don't you even go there! Cutting off your long hair, you do as you're told!"_

Emma never officially came out to her parents. She just wanted to feel a little freer. She cut her hair. She cut her hair and got called a disappointment, and when they put 2 and 2 together...

"We want you out of this house. Now."

Emma stared up at her father in horror. "What?" She couldn't hear her voice.

"You heard me! Out!" She swore the sudden echo of her father's voice rung out to the whole neighborhood.

With that, she ran. She didn't even pack a bag, she just ran out the door. She got to the corner of the block, ensuring her father couldn't see her as she curled up in a ball on the curb. Shit, her grandma was at bingo, she couldn't pick her up. Still, couldn't hurt to try.

She didn't know what she was going to say, but it didn't matter, the next thing she recalled was a car pulled up to the street corner.

_Tell you, "Wake up, go put on your makeup. This is just a phase you're gonna outgrow."_

Alyssa loved makeup, in all honesty. It was once a special treat. Now it felt required, like a mask to hide her real self.

She turned away from the mirror as she gave a noncommittal, “I have to go, see you later, mom.”

“Bye sweetie,” came Mrs. Greene’s reply.

_There's something wrong in the village. In the village, oh._

When Alyssa got to school that day, she swore something was up. Everyone looked too tense for her liking. Then she spotted her. Emma Nolan, at her locker. She almost didn’t recognize the girl, with her hair now cut down to her chin. She was able to ignore the slur painted on her locker with surprising ease. 

Kaylee and Shelby stride up next to Alyssa mid-conversation. “I told you she was gay,” Kaylee says.

Something about this new, confirmed, knowledge made Alyssa’s stomach tighten. This was wrong. Being gay was wrong. Emma was wrong. She thought she knew herself, but she didn’t. She had strayed from God’s path.

Later that day, when Greg Nolan asked her out, she accepted, even though her heart secretly yearned for a different Nolan. In ways that didn’t make sense. But don’t think about her, she’s still wrong. She’s still gay. Alyssa Greene had just kissed Greg...she was straight. She had to be.

_They stare in the village. In the village, oh._

Emma was fully aware that everyone’s eyes were on her. That every girl scooted a little further from her so they couldn’t be seduced as easily. That every boy except her own cousin scooted a little closer to try and turn her. It never worked, and it never would. Emma was gay, and it drove her to a point where she no longer believed in God.

It wasn’t worth going to the cafeteria anymore. She went to the band closet now. Ate lunch where no one could see her, singing songs to herself and talking to her online friends.

As bizarre as the whole situation was, Emma found herself happier than ever before.

_There's nothing wrong with you. It's true, it's true._

It turns out dating Gregory Nolan wasn’t bad. It meant spending a decent chunk of time with Emma, which at first meant don’t talk to her. She’s gay. She’ll turn you. Stay 10 feet away from her.

But then there was prodding from Greg.

“Lys, if I’m gonna have you here, you have to make an effort to talk to Emma without looking like you’re scared she’ll kill you,” he states firmly. “She’s a sister to me.”

“Why can’t she start the conversation?” Alyssa shot back, scared of how angry she sounded.

“Because then you’re going to think that she’s coming on to you,” Greg points out. “And she just gets anxious over this stuff.”

Alyssa just huffed out a breath. “Fine.”

So she awkwardly started a conversation, finding herself ashamed by just how guarded Emma was. Eventually, though, there was a genuine friendship formed.

_There's something wrong with the village, with the village. There's something wrong with the village._

It took months of their secret friendship for Emma to finally invite Alyssa to her secret sanctuary of the band closet. It was Emma’s idea to hide their relationship, to protect Alyssa’s reputation. Alyssa realized after a while that the fact they were hiding was what was wrong with this town.

Emma was the most genuine, loving, brave, and funny human being Alyssa had ever met.

She was beginning to think she liked her more than Greg. There was that thought again, that didn’t make any sense.

_Feel the rumors follow you from Monday all the way to Friday dinner._

Nick had started an ugly rumor that Emma was having a fling with Kat. Kat was the president of the art club, which Emma was a known member of. Those club members didn’t care as much that Emma was gay, because they were art kids. Perfect opportunity to call one of them gay.

Alyssa was hit with a mysterious pang of jealousy at this rumor, but she didn’t know how bad it was until Emma practically begged her to come to the band closet one random day that wasn’t one that was on their schedule. 

The instant the door closed behind her, Emma started rambling.

“They kicked me out of the art club,” she began quickly.

“What?” Alyssa cried out.

“That rumor about Kat and I—it—it got to the club members.” Emma stumbled over her words, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. “They—didn’t like it—and started a petition among the whole club to make me leave.”

Alyssa sunk down next to Emma. “Surely someone was on your side.”

“No,” that’s when Emma’s voice broke. “Only Kat, but she couldn’t convince anyone it wasn’t true, then she—she said she never wanted to see me in that room again, and that—that I...wrecked her reputation as president...”

Alyssa listened in silence until Emma said, “They were the only people who cared.”

Then Alyssa moved Emma’s hair out of her face. “Hey,” she said with a soft smile. “I’m right here now, aren’t I?”

Emma just threw her arms around the brunette.

_You got one day of shelter, then it's Sunday hell to pay, you young lost sinner._

Emma didn’t go to church anymore. Not since the pastor said during a Sunday sermon that he wanted to use Emma as an example of conversion therapy. It was the same week she’d been kicked out. She started having a panic attack, and Betsy cursed out at the pastor, grabbing Emma and Greg, and yelling that they would never be returning to the church.

Still, that didn’t stop Alyssa from enduring a monthly reminder of Emma’s so-called sin. 

It meant turning again to the Bible verse that never left her head, and saying a quiet prayer in her head that this wasn’t real. She wondered if Emma ever thought the things she was thinking now.

_Well I've been there, sitting in that same chair, whispering that same prayer half a million times._

Here she was, opening to the same page in the same Bible, wondering just how true this verse was.

"Homosexuals lead lives cruelled upon by their choices," the pastor cried.

_It's a lie though, buried in disciples._

Alyssa didn't think that was true. Emma just seemed to light up when the topic of crushes came up in their one-on-one conversations, and she'd go on and on about Sara Lance from _Legends of Tommorow_ or whomever else. Alyssa found herself more interested in that then Kaylee and Shelby talking about Finn Wolfhard.

...Oh...shit...

Now is definitely a fantastic time to realize you're gay, Alyssa.

Scanning her surroundings, that was when she noticed a message scrawled hastily onto the margins of the page. The page that held the verse about how man shall not lie with man. This was definitely vandalism and definitely illegal, but the message read:

_One page of the Bible isn't worth a life._

It didn't look like Emma or Greg's handwriting, she had seen both.

The realization this was Betsy's doing made Alyssa nearly burst into tears. She wished she had that kind of support. Instead, she told her mother she had to go to the bathroom and bolted. Suddenly, she felt sick. Like she was about to puke, and her legs were about to give in. Her suddenly sticky and sweaty skin made it easy to claim to her mother that she was sick, and that's why she never left the bathroom until she came looking for her after the sermon.

What Alyssa didn't know, though, was why the message was there. Not even she knew of the scars that were accumulating on Emma's shoulders.

_There's something wrong in the village. In the village, oh._

It turns out Alyssa was actually sick, and it wasn't just a fight-or-flight response, and after a whole week off school (much to her mother's dismay) she returned to the band closet.

"Hey, Em..."

It was only after Alyssa spoke that Emma noticed her. "Hey, how're you feeling?"

"A lot better," Alyssa smiled. "Yourself?"

Emma shrugged, and immediately Alyssa was worried. It took only a second for her to notice that Emma was shivering violently.

"You liar..." Alyssa smirked. "...why are you here?..."

She watched as Emma looked around haplessly, unable to focus on anything, deliriously word-vomiting "If I leave for a day, they'll all wreck my locker."

"Emma, you're too sick to be here..."

"I know," the whimper bubbled over. "I'm sorry."

_They stare in the village. In the village, oh._

Well, Emma was right. Nick swung a bat into Emma's locker door as Kaylee made an off-handed comment. It was after-school, so no one could see or hear the conversation.

"It's kinda funny you and Emma got sick a day apart."

Alyssa forced a laugh. "Yeah."

But it wasn't funny. It wasn't even a coincidence. And Alyssa had to hide the real reason why. That was what was wrong. Not Emma.

_There's nothing wrong with you. It's true, it's true._

It started with a simple text: **emmmmmmma...**

**What?**

**i want someone to cuddle and Gregs at laccrosse**

**uhm.**

But how the hell does a useless lesbian resist cuddling a pretty girl?

An hour later, Emma settles down on the Greene's living room couch, holding Alyssa to her chest as she word vomited.

"You're like the bestest person ever. I love having you in my life so much."

Emma flushed bright red, but this only made Alyssa giggle, and, being slightly delirious and losing all self-control, she started sucking Emma's neck until she passed out.

Time flew by all too quick until Emma heard the door open, and Greg dropped his stick on the floor.

"Finally, you got your shit together, Emma!" he cried out.

This made Alyssa stir awake. "What?...Mngh."

"You idiot!" Emma whisper yelled.

_There's something wrong with the village. With the village. There's something wrong with the village._

And that was the story of how Emma and Alyssa got together. But Alyssa couldn't tell anyone how much she adored Emma with her whole heart. That was what was wrong in this town. That she had to watch in horrified silence as her girlfriend's reputation was maimed yet again.

This was what prompted a sudden blurt of, "I have to go, I have a date with Greg."

She hadn't told her friends that she and him broke up on mutual terms. She looked too happy to play it off.

As she bolted out of the school, she received a text from Greg.

**gran had to leave town last night. em's a mess. sos.**

And she somehow ran even faster.

_There's something wrong in the village. In the village, oh._

Alyssa found Greg pacing by the door.

"Where is she?"

"Upstairs."

That was the only exchange they had before Alyssa burst into Emma's bedroom, finding the girl in a bundle of blankets, crying silent tears and wheezing.

"Emma? Baby, what's happening?"

Emma's fever was high enough that she was hallucinating.

She couldn't tell where she was, everything warping blobs of random colors that spun in dizzy, maniacal circles around her. But she could feel Alyssa's soft hands on her blazing forehead.

Then they disappeared, and, in terror, she cried out suddenly, begging Alyssa to stay with her.

"Greg! Get me an ice pack from the first aid kit, would you!" 

As she spoke, Emma grappled onto her wrist, longing to feel the only connection to reality she had.

The instant the ice pack was placed on her head, the fog of colors began to make a little sense to Emma as she saw vague, blurry details of Alyssa's face.

Her eyes sharpened up first and foremost.

_They stare in the village. In the village, oh._

Emma Nolan was used to being stared at.

But not like this. Not with all the love in the world.

"You came..." Emma croaked out.

"Of course, baby," Alyssa whispered gently.

"H-how?" Emma wheezed. "Your mom, your friends..."

"Hey, hey, it's okay... I'll figure it out. I'm Alyssa Greene, Edgewater's biggest and best liar."

Emma set her head back down on her pillow, grinning as she mumbled weakly. "And so much more, too." Even when sick enough to be bedbound and violently hallucinating, Emma was a charmer. And it made Alyssa's insides flip.

"God, I love you..." she muttered breathlessly.

_There's nothing wrong with you. It's true, it's true._

What?" Emma's word is barely audible.

"I love you." The words were echoed, more firm and intense.

There's a long silence. Emma is half-asleep when she mutters, "Pinch me."

_There's something wrong with the village, with the village._

Emma Nolan was fucked up.

She wasn't fucked up because she was gay, contrary to popular belief.

She was fucked up by her classmates.

They convinced her that love was an unattainable dream. She was unworthy of it.

They beat her down until she became a dulled, distorted reflection of who she was.

But at least who she was has been replaced by who she really is. And has been all along.

It would take an eternity to convince her peers that. Emma may not even have the strength to go on that long, based on how the red lines on her skin only multiplied in ways hardly anyone cared to see.

_There's something wrong with the village._

Emma Nolan was fucked up by this town, not vice versa.

Alyssa was determined to change that.

So she asked her to the senior prom.


End file.
